Book Reviews

Below are a collection of reviews for the books I've written. Click the button to purchase any of the books listed.

A Violent Hope

★★★★

"A Necessary Story"

This book is about Mack. The first five chapters focus on Mack, and then the rest of the book focuses on the three main people in his life: his mother, wife, and daughter. A Violent Hope shows readers hopeless hearts and also how hope can come into those hearts.

This book is Christian fiction but is not at all like most Christian fiction. The characters are broken people--very broken people who know they are only human, know they can't escape, know their lives are barely an unbearable existence, and yet see no hope and so stay in that dark place. However, this book exemplifies that with God hope is always within reach if they just decide to reach.

Positives

This book is real, disturbingly real, and disturbingly necessary. People really like live and feel like this, but most people don't know, believe, or talk about it. This book punches you in the face with reality on so many levels.

It shows where God is. God never leaves the characters although they leave Him. God never gives up. He stays.

The pace and language immerse you in these people's lives. It helps you start to understand what hopeless life feels like and helps you stop judging and start avidly praying.

If you ever wrote someone off, read this.

Negatives

Feminist undertones: I don't think it was intentional, but the book had feminist undertones; all the males were either portrayed as complete scumbags or weak.

Anti-church: Church folks can definitely be as nasty, judgemental, and closed as the book portrayed, but the book left you with a feeling that all churches are nasty.

Overall, this is a very good book, and I recommend it to all readers.

Sharon Amelies

★★★★★

"From Despair to Hope and Healing"

Erika Clay's book, A Violent Hope, weaves together the depths of despair and the red rope of hope and healing. This unexpected book is a powerful reminder that God can redeem people from dark valleys and bad mistakes and transform them into useful instruments for His glory. Well done, Ericka.

Juty

★★★★★

"Loved A Violent Hope"

I loved this book. From front to back cover, I absolutely loved it. I’m so looking forward to more work from Ericka Clay!

Colleen Mayer

★★★★★

"A Violent Hope"

I enjoyed reading A Violent Hope, and I recommend it. Erika Clay is a skilled writer and knows how to craft a compelling story.

Joan N. | VINE VOICE

★★★★

"A gutsy novel about God working in the worst of situations"

This is a novel quite unlike any other I have read. The first half of the book and the Epilogue are from God's perspective. I really liked how realistic events are portrayed in these sections with a whisper of God here and His hand on a shoulder there. This part of the novel was very touching. The second half of the novel switched viewpoints of the three major women involved in the story. I found the frequent change of viewpoint a little disconcerting. I was not as impressed with this second half of the book as I was the first half.

This is a gutsy novel. Clay doesn't pull any punches on what characters experience or what they are thinking. It is not a cozy or nothing-bad-happens kind of novel. But it does show that very harmful events are used by God in the end. It shows too that very broken people can be healed by God. Just be prepared to read of the harmful events and experience the brokenness of people.

Much of the novel deals with raw and strong emotions, sometimes hatred or disgust toward others. Because of that, I recommend it to readers who are mature in their understanding of God and how He can work in even the worst of situations. Sensitive readers may find the material too intense.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Christen Fox

★★★★★

"Couldn't put it down!"

I am SO GLAD I gave Ericka Clay’s newest novel, A Violent Hope, a chance because if I would have prejudged it [in comparison to other Christian fiction I’ve read in the past] I would have missed out on an excellent opportunity to grow in my faith and relationship with Christ. Ericka Clay is the real deal and a girl after my own heart – she doesn’t use any b.s. in her story-telling and her characters are so transparent that you will see your own self stripped down within them.

Unkept

Ashley A. Kagaoan

★★★★

"A Beautiful Piece of Art"

Each page of Unkept got better and better. I do wish the word unkept actually appeared in the story. I kept waiting and wanting to see it. I read the word "unkempt" a couple of times and wondered why the author didn't choose "unkept" instead. I think it would have been a nice touch.

The characters in Unkept are both intriguing and well rounded. Vienna and Heather's connection,being childhood rivals, in love with the same man and both having lost their mothers along the way, keeps the story pulsing and the reader intrigued and questioning just how will they sort out this mess?

The setting, with the main focus on the funeral home, is a great character as well, with many challenges and a opportunities of its own. Everything is set up just right for a complex story of love and loss.

Reading this novel was like watching author Ericka Clay paint with all of the colors in her palette. I would describe her as an an abstract artist. At times, she uses too much paint and it is difficult to make out the picture. There are a lot of metaphors, back story, and flashbacks in Unkept that often interrupt the flow and clarity of the story. But as the story progressed, the painting became more refined and beautiful. Her unique phrases and fresh perspective appealed to the writer within me. And the words she used to describe how the characters were feeling pulled at my reader's heart strings. One piece that stands out in particular is when Heather asks Vienna to join her at the diner. Vienna likes the feeling of being needed even if it is at her own expense. But, of course, Clay doesn't write it that way. She writes, "But there's a spark in being needed, and I want to hold on to it until my hand burns." I felt that burning desire and it lingers with me still.

This is a beautiful piece of art. I loved the ending! I won't give it away but I feel it ended the way it was meant to. Ericka Clay remained true to her characters. She told their stories honestly, leaving all of their faults, hopes and dreams on the page, welcoming the reader to grab hold and embrace the ugly side of our humanness while revealing our greatest ability - forgiveness. The ending had a great impact on me as it left me feeling hopeful. What a wonderful reading experience. I definitely recommend reading Unkept.

Wayne F. Burke | VINE VOICE

★★★★

"Our Town Too"

Characters of this novel could have come from a country western song: "mamma's in the graveyard, Poppa's in the pen," only, unlike a country western, flesh and blood characters not caricatures. Not the geeks either of Flannery O'Connor's WISE BLOOD but more the flawed and genuine folk of Catherine Tudish (AMERICAN CREAM, TENNEY'S LANDING). A novel structured to replicate a soap opera, but more "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" (without the zaniness) than "Days of Our Lives." The story told in alternating chapters labeled "Vienna" or "Heather" the duo-heroines of the tale. Vienna is petite and anorexic-bulimic and from a dysfunctional family that rivals, in dyfunctionality, heavy-set Heather's family, consisting of a whack-job mother and absent father. Both women are damaged goods; vomitus and sweat are the effluvium they move through; both are, like everyone else in the novel, desperately in need of therapy.

Both carry their "issues" along with them throughout the action, all of which takes place in Burling Gate, a minor Peyton Place in the heartland. All the characters have known one another since childhoods and the background to their stories is seamlessly interwoven by Clay into the fabric of the story as it develops. In brief...Vienna and hunk-y Wyland are a couple, though chaste, through high school, and are envied by bullying and self-hating Heather who follows Wyland to college and manages, in a twist that threatens but does not compromise verisimilitude, to first ingratiate herself into Wyland's graces and then marry him. After college, the couple--Heather is now preggers--returns to Burling Gate and to Vienna, who has remained working for her father in his funeral parlor (the business bequeathed by "Granddad," doing time in the pen for dealings with druggies). Once returned, Wyland--something of a dud, emotionally--takes up with Vienna again and they consummate the relationship earlier abandoned. Around the menage a trois orbits a host of well-meaning and less then well-meaning parents, friends, and associates, all of whom bring their considerable emotional and mental baggage to the table...In the hands of a lesser writer this story would be fodder for melodrama but Clay is up to the challenge of moving her misbegotten crew through a hometown drama that never falters for long, not even during the inevitably soppy denouement...Clay has the enviable gift of being able to move her characters into such close emotional proximity that they sometimes seem--whether hugging or knifing each other--to meld together. This magic--a conjurer's trick--makes this novel a winner: page-turner rather than tear-jerker.

Amy Reese

★★★★★

"A superb writer and a great read!"

Ericka Clay is a superb writer with a lot of talent. This is a brave, bold book, and the author took a lot of risks with her story. The past collides with the present, and while her story could have taken a predictable route opting for a more theatrical ending, she chose to remain true to her characters. This is a story about internal struggles and accepting yourself. The past comes to a head with a situation that forces her characters to face their fears, their self-doubts, and each other. Clay's writing is chock-full of powerful, dark imagery and visual cues to stimulate your senses throughout. The characters are complex with an intersecting past and uncomfortable present. Clay does a great job of putting the reader in the characters' shoes. At times, I wanted the characters to simply get over their pasts and hold hands. But, life really isn't that way. Some wounds stay with us for a long time. It's not so simple to move on and takes courage to let go. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more of her stories.

★★★★★

"Not what you're expecting. In the BEST way."

Okay, I was skeptical about this book.

The description definitely intrigued me, but most of my motivation to read it was because I follow the author on Wattpad, and have always enjoyed her poetry. But poetry doesn't always mean good writing, you know? But I gave it a chance.

Actually, what I was surprised to find is that the store is oddly breathtaking. Even evocative. Clay uses imagery that I've never heard of anywhere else, but not to a bad effect either. What I found was that what I liked about her poems actually bled into her fiction. It's a story, definitely, but it's a story of imperfection and redemption.

I don't even know how to categorize this book really while, and while not perfect (I was confused in a few places with the way she integrates flashbacks and memories) it was so compelling that I didn't put it down. Her voice is unique, fresh, and packed.

5 stars. I'll continue my stalking on watt pad, and wait for the next book.

M. Goldberg

★★★★★

"An amazing novel by a writer who shows incredible talent and promise for many more pieces of work to come."

A beautifully written novel with the author's love of poetic language woven throughout. This novel is not one which allows the reader an escape from reality and into a land of perfection where everything is as one wishes it should be. Unkept allows the reader to become immersed in the characters' fictional lives through the trials and tribulations of life. These characters, however flawed, are relatable to the reader and so, the reader is able to see themselves, even if every so slightly in the character portrayls. Clay writes in a way which allows the opportunity to take pause and realize that those transformative years of adolescence never truly leave us, they are forever a part of us. The reader walks away with closure, with a greater understanding of the fragility of relationships with others, but most importantly, with oneself.

Michelle Terry

★★★★★

"I could NOT put this down! I had to see how it ended."

Just finished this well-written, gut-punching story of love, loss and lessons. I started to read because I was intrigued by the plot, I stayed because I fell in love with the characters and couldn't put the book down until I knew everyone was going to be okay.

If you're intrigued by how the past can impact future, then this is a story for you. If you have struggled with personal and family and childhood relationships - it's a must-read.

Ms. Clay does a masterful job of weaving between the character's (Heather and Vienna) and showing (not telling) the intricacies and blurred lines within and among each. She invites the reader into their lives, psyche, and hearts. Bonus? The secondary characters are just as intriguing.

Loved the characters - relatable and real. Multiple layers of literature woven within a complex set of relationships, vivid scene settings and the reality of how the past lurks over our shoulder at every turn.

As a writer, I appreciated the themes, and symbols. As a reader, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Brilliant!

KAY CRISEL

★★★★★

Love it!!!

Cynthia Rodrigues

★★★★

"from the sweet smell of formaldehyde and the body of a five-year-old"

I wondered why Ericka had not called the book, Broken, since that was what most of the characters were, bruised and broken. But I supposed, Unkept worked just as well. I wondered what it stood for though. Did it mean a mess, something that wasn’t kept well? The cover revealed nothing. In an age of designer book covers, it was stark and plain. Just the title and the author’s name, giving us no indication of what to expect, and taking away our right to judge its merit by its cover.

The book alternates between the first person present tense account of Vienna Oaks and the third person past tense account of Heather Hammel, her childhood nemesis. The alternating POVs don’t always take the story forward. Instead they retrace the same experiences from differing viewpoints. The trouble with choosing different styles for both was that it got me unconsciously supporting Vienna over Heather. I don’t know if Ericka meant that to happen, or if she merely wished to set the two viewpoints apart.

The setting is established in the first few pages. We come to know that it is a funeral home, from the sweet smell of formaldehyde and the body of a five-year-old that initiates an upheaval in the mind of Vienna. It is amazing how the needs and complexities of life constantly buzz and swarm even in the backdrop of a funeral home, a reminder of how the circle of life and death is so entwined within itself.

It takes a while to figure out who is who, because Ericka establishes the relationships and the circumstances in the best way possible: from the inside out. The relationships are all complicated and twisted, leaning into one another.

The friendship between Vienna and Rosa is beautifully described. Even though we don’t get her point of view, and therefore know nothing about the pain she feels when Vienna wounds her feelings, she still comes across as rock solid, forgiving and loving, standing up against Heather’s bullying, and fiercely protective of Vienna.

The writing is sensual. We taste the words as we read, and stop and think about the implications of each line. The flashbacks are truly seamless, and we traverse the distance between past and present as effortlessly as the characters themselves. Bit by bit, Ericka peels off layer after layer. Heather’s cruelty is there, magnified when set against the fact that she stole Wyland away from Vienna. Heather is not mean the way Hollywood portrays it, but her cruelty pecks away at a girl with severe anxiety issues.

The characters are all complicated, as is the writing. Don’t pick up this book, if easy reading is what you are looking for. Ericka handles her material well. She knows how to turn the cushion inside out so the hurt and the embarrassment can stay hidden.

The author is matter-of-fact about everyone, whether they are in pain, or whether they are doing something wrong. There is no judgement. The women are all strong, even when they are faced with the fickleness of the men. It is the men who are unable to keep their promises.

Unkept brings out the fact that grief and the need for forgiveness and redemption are universal. The novel brings up a number of issues. How adults can mess up children’s lives at home, as well as the insidious effects of bullying. About the pain of ruptured relationships and the delicious release that comes of forgiving and mending the rupture.

I understood the meaning of Unkept in the last paragraph, when Vienna thinks being this free is almost harder to bear than being kept.

AshleyKingsbury

★★★★

"Fantastic Read!"

Unkept: A Novel

By Ericka Clay

Burling Gates, Missouri, is one of those towns where many of us would have been ready to run upon graduating from high school. However, there were also girls like Vienna Oaks, our main character in Ericka Clay’s Unkept: A Novel. Vienna knew from a young age that her life would be to stay in town and help run her family’s mortuary and funeral home business. And as the ever so dutiful and hard-working daughter, she stays.

It is easy to be looked at as the one in the family who did what was meant for them – unlike that of her waste-of-space brother, Troy. However, that doesn’t mean that deep down inside you weren’t wishing for another outcome, like the one Heather Hammel – one of Vienna’s torturers from school – ended up with…or the man she ended up with, Wylamd Turnbull, the love of Vienna’s life since they were kids.

I must say that I was completely enthralled in this book from the jump. It completely kept me captivated until the very last page. The interesting way in which Clay chooses to introduce us to the world of Burling Gates is both in first person, through Vienna’s voice, and in third person but from Heather’s perspective. Each of these ladies lives such a different life, but the same as the other.

The plethora of characters the women introduce us to all are quite charming in some way. They each play an intricate role in how these women’s lives have unfolded. Everyone from Vienna’s best friend since childhood, Rosa, who now does the makeup in the mortuary; to Amber Ellery, Heather’s best friend since childhood who was a part of the group that tormented Vienna when they were in school hand now – strictly on the outside – is living the life of luxury.

I try my hardest in each review I write to not spoil the book for my readers because I know how irritated that makes me (If I ever do ruin one for you PLEASE email me!!) The reason I mention this is because I want you to know I’m not intentionally being vague. Unkept is an amazing book and definitely deserves a read if you enjoy contemporary fiction. Every word, in my opinion, is impassioned and there for a very particular reason, not just to fill pages.

jaye marie

★★★★

"brutally compelling story"

“…planting the tiniest seeds of hope in a person and watching them birth through a layer of grief…”

Still reeling from the unrelenting emotions I found in Dear Hearts, the Ericka Clay book I read first, I knew I was in for another painful read. And I was right.

This was no story-book romance or mystery, Ericka’s books get you by the throat and force you to witness real life as she sees it.

I know how accurate she is, for I have known people like the characters she portrays and parts of my own life have unfortunately been similar. I suspect there are many more people living lives like this than we know, for some people, life can be hard and unforgiving, making their struggle and determination to find a better one all the more remarkable.

This story was raw, bloody and powerful. The author lays bare all the emotional detritus of human life with the accuracy of a surgeon, exposing the underbelly.

Compelling and vicious, you will remember this book for a long time…

Susie G. Murphy

★★★

"A book worth reading"

'Unkept' is written in the genre of women’s fiction and centres around two main characters, Vienna Oaks and Heather Hammel. Vienna is the manager of her father’s funeral home and Heather’s mother has just died, which requires her to avail of the Oaks Family Funeral Home’s services. What makes this situation so thorny is the fact that Heather bullied Vienna when they were children and, on top of this, each woman possesses an enduring desire for Wyland, Vienna’s best friend at school and Heather’s now husband. Both Vienna and Heather come from dysfunctional family backgrounds which inevitably impacts on how they cope with the circumstances in which they now find themselves.

Wendy Strain

★★★★★

"Dark literature worth savoring"

Deeply moving, the simple cover just doesn’t do this book justice. At the same time, it’s absolutely perfect as a representation of the story within. While it is possible to look at all of the characters in the book as living simple, vanilla kinds of lives, easily read and understood, Clay proves again and again how each life is profoundly different than what you’d expect. Full of flawed characters trying to carve out a tolerable state of existence for themselves, most of Clay’s characters have simply managed to anesthetize themselves to the pain of their worlds by the opening of the story. Throughout the story, Clay creates a heart-wrenching story of growing up unlike many you might have read before. She doesn’t just explore the dark realities of childhood most adults pretend don’t exist, she carries that growth forward into adulthood. Without judging her characters from hiding in food issues and delusional existence, Clay demonstrates through the action how true healing comes from the ability to face truth and adjust perspectives based on those truths. There’s more detail in my review on This Dark Matter blog, but overall, an excellent work of literary fiction.

Nearly every principal character is incredibly flawed, in some cases to the point of being deeply unlikeable. I think this is a gutsy move on the part of the author as there can be much risk in creating a story where the reader does not necessarily have someone for whom they can declare their staunch support. I have to admire Clay for not succumbing to any sugar-coating over her characters, most of whom are barely holding themselves together at the seams.

The novel has a somewhat unclear start as the opening chapters are overloaded with a barrage of character names and too many unanswered questions, making it difficult to settle in until the third or fourth chapter. In addition to this, the narrative constantly goes back and forth in time with flashbacks breaking into the present-day storyline on a regular basis – while this does provide the back story necessary to fill in all those blanks left early on, it also tends to disturb the flow of the immediate plot. What’s good is that the narrative approach involves alternating chapters between the perspectives of the two chief protagonists, giving us an insight into both sides of their tumultuous relationship.

Clay’s writing has a very lyrical tone to it and the book is suffused with striking imagery throughout. While some of it works really well, such as “…not Heather, who knew the beats of the usual orchestrated chaos in her home but was frantically thumbing the sheet music to find her place” (Chapter 4), and “‘Moment of truth,’ her husband said, killing the car, birthing the silence” (Chapter 2), others do not quite have the desired effect: “Time had dashed through the surface of the sky” (Chapter 7). Make of that what you will. But then, it turns out that Clay also writes poetry which may explain the presence of some of her more enigmatic phrases. Even though the writing was not always appealing to me, I do acknowledge that Clay has a very distinctive voice which, in a world saturated with writers clamouring to be heard, will help her to stand out among the others. When you read her, you will absolutely know it is her by the style.

Lastly, motherhood is an overriding theme in this novel – impending motherhood, failed motherhood and all the layers in between. This is where Clay displays her very best, in her ability to deal with such a weighty topic in an adept way. The story reveals that mothers do not know all the answers, that sometimes they are no good at being mothers at all, and that not every pregnant woman looks forward to the birth of her child with unadulterated joy. It is this brutally honest representation of motherhood that makes 'Unkept' a book worth reading.

★★★★★

"Review of Unkept by Ericka Clay"

I received an electronic copy of this book - per my request - in exchange for my honest review. :)

My Review:

One day, many weeks ago now I was checking out some of the blogs I follow. I happened across this crazy lady author I somewhat recently started following from Tipsy Lit. The post I found on this particular day was a call to reviewers and bloggers interested in reviewing her new novel Unkept. I'm not always a women's fiction fan but as with other genres if the blurb is interesting then we might have something; that's what happened here. So I reached out to Ericka with a little about me and a link to my blog.

She said sure, here's my e-book for Kindle!

And now we're here, my review, honest as promised of Unkept.

From the jump, I think the cover is bland, which perhaps was the author's intention given the title Unkept, contrasting it with something so simple and clean. But I still wish it gave me more to look at, more to draw me in, and told me something more about this story other than the title and who wrote it. Luckily for the author I was interested by her initial request and the synopsis. Had I of seen this in a store nothing would have drawn me to it.

Nonetheless, I began this book almost immediately after I got it and honestly I wasn't so immediately in love with it. It didn't grab me or me it from the start. I felt like there was so much jumping around and I really just wanted to understand what was happening with these two chicks. Luckily for me I read the blurb so I had something to hold on to, and my promise to review meant I was committed.

But unlike some other books I've read - just had to say that - it didn't take too long to be genuinely interested in not only the story but the characters, even if Heather isn't exactly the type of girl anyone wants to be friends with. Ericka's style of writing is both artistic and realistic. I love her use of metaphors in creating scenes and building her characters, they had more flavor, more emotion and more real life. I could feel her scenes, placing myself there as the actor or an observer. Here's some moments I particularly appreciated:

"That one, that one's called Louise," he had whispered, playing one of our usual games, naming a bloodied cat in a puddle of light beneath a street lamp. His face recognized what his mouth had said and the tears came because he was in no shape to stop them." [Louise is Vienna's mother, a drunk.]

"A thought, buried in her brain germinated and vined its way down her spine and around her limbs."

"But she couldn't stick with one train of thought because Loretta's plastic earrings were having a seizure at the sides of her head, and she could hear 'Elbie' steadily humming into the phone in his office."

"Heather could see her mother's anguish over her father running off and finding Ronnie, and how Heather used to roll her eyes and pray her mother would grow a pair. It was amusing how the tables jerked when they turned, leaving Heather with her own pair shriveled and out of commission." [Heather reflecting on being the one with a cheating husband.]

"I sometimes wonder if someone snuck their way up the stairs during a wake and came face to face with my closet, if they would assume I travel, that I go out a lot. That I have someone in my life that likes me in my dresses as much as I do. Or if they'd peg me for a recluse who has taken to online shopping."

"…I spritz myself with a perfume my father bought last Christmas. He said it smelled like the viewing room when it's brimming with flowers, and that scent reminded him of me. I just pretend he said, 'It smells like spring so it reminds me of you."

"He just sat there and for a few hard minutes, I saw my own grief reflected onto him and I was grateful for the reprieve." [The moment Vienna's father finds out she's pregnant.]

"Heather smiled. She picked it because it was an odd way to name a child, to give her firstborn the burden of everything Heather had ever endured. But her thoughts on the name were changing because it was the sorrowful things that seemed to break open while watching two birds argue over a berry, washing a pair of pink pajamas or stroking her face against Frankenstein's back. It was the sorrowful things that showed Heather just how beautiful the littlest wins could be." [Heather's thoughts on naming her unborn daughter Dolores, which stands for sorrows, oh and Frankenstein is her cat.]

Being someone who loves action/adventure movies like X-Men, the Avengers, Ironman, and the like - including recently John Wick starring yes folks Keanu Reeves - I really appreciated Ericka's twists and turns in this story. I wanted so badly to get to the end to see how this crazy drama played out. This book felt to me like a reality TV show but better because I didn't have to wonder how much was scripted, how much drama was forced; point being Ericka made it more real for me than reality TV. Those of us dysfunctional people can certainly appreciate what Heather & Vienna go through (lovin' the name Vienna, especially the nickname Sausage!). We all know that most dysfunction comes from a time before us but made juicier by us; Ericka does not fail to prove this as Heather & Vienna's families are no peach pie themselves.

Sometimes in literature I feel like authors can get too poetic (this coming from a poet), basically trying too hard but muddying the story instead. In this story she used just enough metaphor to not only bring the story to life, with all its drama, but also to pull it into a place of introspection and genuine emotion. Life is so full of these OMG, No Way moments but you can't just write a story about those things and hope they carry themselves. I think an author succeeds when they bring the human into the story and all our crazy - sometimes terrible - decisions. Thus the story carries itself and the drama is an ingredient, super tasty like salt. Nothing ever goes as planned and nothing planned ever just goes. It might seem insane that a victim ever befriend her childhood bully and yet they bond here essentially by what set them apart in the first place. She didn't dissuade me though by telling some sugar-coated story about how they become best friends and all is well in pony-land.

If you like stories about dysfunctional people and how they manage to function then read this. If you're interested in what becomes of bullies - especially girls - and the people they bully then read Unkept. If you like a good, realistic, emotionally thought out, sometimes humorous, well-written often poetic chick drama then please read Unkept by Ericka Clay. And Ericka Clay, thanks for sharing this story with us and evoking thoughts about just what would we do? I look forward to following Ericka's career and her future stories.

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars because I really like her fully fleshed characters and her use of metaphor, her style of writing and ability to make the story feel more real.

Alysyn Reinhardt

★★★

This book was given to me for review. For my full review, click here

You know the Bechdel test? The one that says your novel/movie/whatever should have at least two women in it, those women should have names, & they should talk with each other about something other than a man? This book passes that test with flying colors. It was really refreshing to read a story so rooted in what it's like to grow up as a girl and live like a woman. It rightfully fits into the Women's Fiction genre.

Both of the main characters felt realistic. Vienna is relatable and is a bit stuck in her life, but still pretty and enviable. Heather is a mean bitch, but has her own self esteem and familial issues. They have balanced personalities that didn't feel like cookie-cutter characters. As you read, you discover more and more about them, and they continue to grow as the story progresses. They also have some pretty dysfunctional, messed up families that made for an interesting cast of side characters.

There was a great theme of confronting your past and learning to let go. The book is embedded with several flashbacks to Vienna's and Heather's experiences as children or in high-school. This was a bit confusing at first because there's not much indication sometimes when a flashback is occurring, but it was quick and easy to flow back into the story.

A lot of the situations are highly dramatic. There's a lot going on, it's a little overwhelming, more and more issues are added on as the story moves forward, and sometimes it felt like too much at once.

But Clay's writing is distinct and clear. She slides in similes and metaphors that are so spot on you wonder how you never thought of them. She's very good at creating tangible and visual images for the reader so that you can better experience the intense emotions of her characters. Plus amid all the horrible deaths and stressful situations, Clay's amazing at making things funny. The small bits of comedy are great and often wonderfully sarcastic. Such as, “Brent would know how to fix that. I mean, maybe not personally, but he can recommend someone to you.”

Overall, a great read, with clear writing, an interesting story, and wonderful characters.

Anna Cabral

★★★★★

Unkept is a beautifully written and engaging novel. It tells the story of two troubled characters, Viena and Heather, whose lives become entangled due to family sin issues and dysfunction. As the story unfolds and circumstances seem increasingly hopeless, the characters develop as they realise the power of redemption.

Mrs Clay is a talented writer who grips the reader with raw, authentic, and engaging story lines.

A.T.

★★★

A few days ago I saw a Blog entry that asked any followers if they would be interested in reviewing a new Book called Unkept. All that was asked was an honest review afterward. I applied. Ericka Clay was kind enough to send me the e-book version and I made it my mission to read it with an open mind since I had never read any of her other books. I finished Unkept yesterday. And I have a problem; I do not know how to review it. Should I be honest, lie or settle somewhere in between?

Unkept is a story about two Ladies in a small town of Missouri. The story unfolds around a Funeral Home where Vienna works and Heather has to make arrangements for her mother’s death. Both have a history together and said history collides.

I love Ericka Clay’s writing style. It is clear, and easy to follow although the story sometimes gets lost in the emotional heap of both ladies. One of the pitfalls of book reviews is that reviews should be based on the story line as it is written, not what the Critic wished the Author wrote. While the story line is good in of itself, one even could say great in that it has a lot of women characters, and a solid base, Vienna and Heather are just too wimpy for my taste. As are most of the women in the story but two; Rosa and Loretta. Unfortunately they only have a minor role. Sadly the story is credible, as are Vienna & Heather.

As mentioned above, honest, lie or settle? I shall do honest. Take away the fact that I wished the Author had turned the woman in the book into strong life characters in the face of adversity, and somehow not let a tortured grade school era take up so much time in the story, I did find the later part of the story, and its ending, satisfactory. Women do it to themselves a lot. That pretty much sums up Unkept.

A. Fae

★★★★

"Unkept: A Novel

By Ericka Clay"

Amanda

★★★★★

Unkept is a modern southern gothic novel written in a voice wholly unique to contemporary literary fiction. Two childhood enemies eke out an adult frienemy relationship when forced by circumstance back into each other's lives. Clay takes full liberty of the "grotesque" characteristics of the southern gothic genre, with broken characters who live in trash and vomit a lot. While hard to stomach some of her vivid descriptions of squalor and bodily fluids, it all serves a deeper purpose of illustrating the sub-surface issues of each character, and gives the reader clues as to the possibility of the characters' redemption/salvation (if the characters are willing to rise up and grasp at it - and no matter how bad the characters are, Clay has you rooting for them). I was engrossed by the conflict between the women, and sped through the book in about three sittings. Far better than any episode of Real Housewives for drama, and as opposed to Real Housewives fare, I felt smarter after reading it as opposed to dumber, so wins all around.

Katie Cross

★★★★★

Okay, I was skeptical about this book.

5 stars. I'll continue my stalking on watt pad, and wait for the next book.

Cameron Garriepy

★★★★★

UNKEPT is not a story of heroic people triumphing against insurmountable odds. It is a keening song of surviving a thousand paper cuts. It's the story of damaged people wading out of the muck in their own hearts in search of finding "good enough." It is a ruthless examination of how girls can be, and how those girls might grow up. It's the story of two screwed up families on parallel roads to redemption, and two hopelessly intertwined tales of infatuation played out in full view of a small town over decades.

Seasoned with wry, bleak humor, UNKEPT delves into the uncomfortable, dark truths in the everyday heart.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel

★★★★

This book took me a little longer than normal to get through, admittedly it was a busy month and full of craziness, but usually if a book really pulls me in there is nothing that can take me away from it until its done. However, after saying that I must say that towards the end I did get enrapt in it. I'm having a hard time relating the title of the book to the story, but maybe I just didn't 'get' it. Regardless of that, the book was intriguing. The characters each had their flaws, with parallels throughout the book between the characters and frienemies. I did get a little lost within the different emotional struggles both women had, and found them overall pretty weak in getting through struggles. I want to rate this a 3.5 because it still just leaves me wondering if I enjoyed it or not as a whole. I do think that if I re-read the book I might catch on to more nuances that I missed the first time.

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Dear Hearts

★★★★★

"An intimate look on the inner-dynamics of a loving, dysfunctional family."

Dear Hearts is the story of a young couple, Elena and Mitch, who are truly in love, but as they approach their thirties, they discover that they are far from the happily ever after they were taught to expect.

Their relationship is filled with pain and frustration. Horded resentments and secrets get the best of them, and chemical and behavioral vices break them down in their struggle to cope.

Their daughter, Wren, is left to observe them from the sidelines, her stress resulting in a problem that is both embarrassing to her and her parents. However, as the situation Mitch and Elena find themselves in grows more threatening and complex, the reader is that much more aware of the undercurrent of the deep feeling they have for one another. No matter the disgust, the frustration, the disappointment, there is a loyalty to the kernel of love they had when they fell for each other. Elena and Mitch never forget why they chose to be together, nor do they forget the love they have for their daughter.

Ericka Clay’s characters are bare and raw. Her prose is unique, abstract at times, but there’s something very placid and straightforward about her writing even when it bears a heap of emotional consequence.

I highly recommend Dear Hearts for those who appreciate hyper-realistic characters, true-to-life scenarios, and love stories that demonstrate the complexity of romantic relationships.

Brianna

★★★★

"Love this book!"

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the view points between Mitch and Elana. I really felt the connection between the two characters, even with all the struggles they went through. The story needed a little more editing; there were a few places that left the reader confused about the writer's intent. The ending was a complete and total shocker! Though, I still wonder exactly what happened to both Mitch and Elana.

Mary Grace

★★★★★

"Heartbreaking and beautiful..."

They both have secrets that are eating away at their hearts. Will it ever be right again?

Ericka Clay has a way of dragging the shadows out into the sunlight and shaking them like dirty rugs to let us see what they've been holding. That's what she has done in Dear Hearts.

My first thought on finishing was "damn" and I am not a swearing woman. I couldn't find any other word that fits what I was feeling. This is a hard story, but a necessary one. As the ends pull together at the close, it's heartbreaking and beautiful and infuriating.

I was given a free ecopy of this book. This is my honest and free review.

jaye marie

★★★★★

One of the saddest love stories I have read in a while...

I loved the sound of this book, expecting a strong romantic story.

Not having read Ericka’s previous book, ‘Unkempt’ I was unprepared for the raw, unrelenting emotions that leapt at me from the pages.

This is the story of a young married couple and their young daughter. At first glance, an average family, but you don’t have to look far to see the signs of trouble.

Watching Mitch trying so hard to be a typical family man and failing miserably is so painful. You are desperate to know what his problem is, but you don’t discover his totally unexpected secret until chapter four.

His wife, Elena, is clearly struggling. First, with the frustration of wanting another child but failing to conceive. Her daughter adds to her worries and on top of everything, she knows something is wrong with her marriage. Nothing she can put her finger on but she suspects Mitch is seeing another woman, and this is slowly eating away at her nerves.

The characters in this book are very real, their emotions raw and bloody. The prose is unlike anything I have ever read before and I found it a refreshing change. Life is just like this but you rarely see it painted quite so eloquently. I especially liked the way the main characters have their own first person oriented chapters, putting you right there in their lives. You feel the pain of their struggling relationship as if it were happening to you.

When Elena finally learns Mitch’s secret, it is far worse than anything she could have imagined and it tears her fragile world apart. This story is raw, brutal and uncompromising, and the shocking surprise ending will take your breath away.

I loved the part where Elena tells her friend she might kill him, and the friend asks ‘which one?’

This book is for anyone who has ever been unfaithful, to feel the excruciating pain of betrayal. One of the saddest stories I have read in a while.

Michelle Terry

★★★★★

"Another superb novel from Ericka Clay!"

After having a great experience with "Unkept," I was eager to read "Dear Hearts." Ms. Clay did not disappoint!

I tried to read this book as a writer but was sucked in like an avid reader. My brain's attempts to be objective, pick it apart, and look for mistakes were immediately thwarted by effortless character depictions and the weave of the story.

In a style unique to Ericka, I could smell, see, and feel the settings. I appreciated the Point of View from Mitch and Elena. Just the right level of insight without looking too much like a literary gimmick.

Ms. Clay also managed to make the essence of this story relatable to the reader audience. My empathy trigger was pulled throughout the story, and I couldn't help but have a visceral reaction to their emotions and plight. Addiction, abuse, homophobia, and family discord are difficult subjects to tackle - the author handles them in a raw, real, yet readable way. Similar to when someone describes having poison ivy, the listener can't help but itch, too.

As a reader, the ending made me want to know more.

As a writer, I applaud the author's poetic license to leave the reader wanting more.

Disclosure: I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Michelle

★★★★

Books are amazing. They are an avenue for adventure, imagination, though, learning something new, and discovering something within yourself. I was presented the opportunity to read and review a book by up and coming author, Ericka Clay. To be honest, it wasn't a book that I'd probably choose immediately on my own, but this is the great thing about books. If we step outside of our regular list of genres and try something different, you may discover a wonderful book you never would have known existed.

Dear Hearts has a familiar backdrop of a family that seems okay on the outside, but is unstable and in pain on the inside. Mitch and Elena are a married couple with a little girl, Wren. On the surface, they look like the typical American family. Dad has his own business, and mom stays at home with the child. But their relationship is much more complex, and life in general has become challenging. Daughter Wren is seven and still cannot control her bladder, which adds tension and stress (and is probably psychologically linked to her parent's relational issues). Both do not know how to cope with their relationship problems, so they drink, which usually leads to fights, and Mitch has become attracted to a man.

As you move through the book, you get the perspectives of both Mitch and Elena and see the hurt that both have placed on themselves and each other. Without giving too much away, you start to see that the secret worlds that each of these two cling to are a means to escape, a way to feel good, or at least better, without addressing their real problems. They both start to realize this toward the end, but the book leaves you open, without a real conclusion. Does this mean a book two? Or are you free to make your own conclusions?

Being a novella, it was a quick read. Sometimes it felt too quickly paced. The book throws you into the anger and pain right away, almost feeling like you skipped a chapter leading up to what was happening. I felt like I had to play catch up, but once I caught on, the book read smoothly and kept me reading. There were definite dark undertones to the book and it was littered with some great wit as well as the original and well placed analogies. Multiple times, I found myself smiling and chuckling when Elena compared her friend's daughter to her sister-in-law: "...and I pray she isn't cursed like Mitch's sister, Tammy, who looks like a stillborn kitten."

With these dark quips thrown in throughout the book, it definitely gave off a J.D Salinger, Catcher in the Rye vibe, with a dry and dark humor paired with a tough subject of complex relationships and what we go through for others. Overall, it was a very well written book and I look forward to picking up another Ericka Clay book. Hopefully we'll find out if she plans on following up with this family with a second novella.

Priscilla

★★★★

‘Emotionally gripping’ is the phrase I’d use to describe Dear Hearts. The author has a knack for dialogue and paints an accurate picture of a marriage on the rocks. I got really used to reading her witty, hilarious blog posts, so the depth of the book comes as a shock to me.

Dear Hearts is quietly powerful. It’s the sort of book that makes you wonder, “Good God, what did the author went through to write a story like this?”

It’s a roller-coaster ride.

Review on Priscilla and her Books

I was asked by author, Ericka Clay, to review her novella, Dear Hearts, and I must say that I am really excited to have the s-a-i-dopportunity to review a compelling piece of writing, probably because I’ve never been asked by an author to review their work before! It’s been a whole new experience and one I want to experience again.

H. Taylor

★★★★

"Dear Hearts by Ericka Clay"

Originally posted on my blog inkorkeys.com

From the outside, Mitch and Elena Reynolds are a typical White Smoke family: married, raising a daughter, running a local business, attending church on Sundays. But their happy family image starts to crack when Mitch has an affair with local White Smoke resident, Aaron Hooper.

Mitch and Elena’s tumultuous relationship is further tested with failed attempts to get pregnant again, forced AA meetings to curb their alcoholism and bitter therapy appointments to try and “fix” their daughter, Wren. It’s not until both Mitch and Elena trust in their love for their daughter that they begin to rekindle the connection they first formed as kids. But is it too late?

From the author of Unkept, Dear Hearts is an exquisitely told tale of love, loss and human connection in the wake of darkness.

Alcoholic childhood sweethearts, bone marrow deep love, a cheating man struggling with his sexuality and a child still attempting to get a handle on her bladder and her parents, put that all together and you get the surface level premise of Clay’s novella. Underneath that however is layer upon layer of conflict, emotion, compulsion and heavy neuroticism. All these layers come together to create a complex and dynamic story of a married couple handling life as best they know how, and most of the time their best, especially when it comes to their daughter, just doesn’t cut it.

I have very mixed emotions about this novella. Part of me loved the raw, dirty grittiness of the characters and their approach to situations, such as Elena convincing Mitch to attend AA through sex or Elena’s compulsion of scrubbing her hands raw. It’s very real and confronting.

However another part of me just can’t seem to truly believe Mitch as a character. A gay man, who refuses to accept his sexuality and hide within a loving marriage, who try for another baby, because that will make everything better. That I can believe and at first I thought this was all there was to Mitch, however Mitch appears to have come to terms with himself, as we can see through his relationship with a man that seems to flip a switch inside of him and pull out who he really is, but he chooses to crush that part of himself. This is qualified by the fact that Elena and Mitch do have a deep physical connection, but can a gay man really love a women in that way? I wasn’t convinced.

Dear Hearts is punctuated with a slew of extremely lovely imagery and just beautiful sentences that pop out of the short chapters, this gem for example; “counting her mistakes like dirty coins”. Stunning.

While I do think there is a lot of unnecessary detail that appears to be more of a space filler than anything else it doesn’t slow the pace of the book or create drags in the writing. The evolution of the novella is extremely well done in this sense. There is always a development, something pushing the story forward, a new neurosis to be discovered among the dysfunctional couple.

Dear Hearts is not for those wanting a light read; it’s for those of us who want to delve into a not so perfect psyche.

Clay has done an incredible job of documenting a facet of marriage and life that is not often explored in the mainstream. It isn’t pretty or pleasant or nice but it’s real and I commend Clay for attempting to put forth an image and life that isn’t always very easy to do.

I do recommend this novella.

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Between You and Me

Anna Cabral

★★★★★

Between You and Me is a unique Christian Living book, as it presents the Christian Faith not through preaching, but through authenticity. The author, Ericka Clay, reflects on matters of the Faith and shares her struggles and breakthroughs in her walk with God. Ericka combines simplicity and vulnerability with depth and beauty in her writing. This book touched my life in so many ways, as it both challenged me and encouraged me. I recommend Between You and Me to other Christian women who want to grow in their Faith.

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Songs About God

Mary Grace

★★★★★

"Thought-provoking verse."

Ericka Clay has a distinct style of verse. Her lines are short and snap. Many of the single-word lines hold you at a pause, giving you time to absorb the picture or thought she unfolds for her readers. 'Songs about God' is filled with thought-provoking verse and I reread many of the poems as I perused the book.

Ericka's love for the written word and Christ show through every poem. The ups and downs of human existence, the struggle to follow Christ's footsteps as we read his words in the bible. I love this about Ericka's work.

I was offered a free copy of this book. This review is my free and honest opinion.

Yeng Cee

★★★★★

'Songs about God' will move the reader and inspire them to return to the source of their being: the Word. Ericka Clay successfully captures the essence of being a Christian through her poetry, shedding light on the heart-mending (and heart-wrenching) Truth. She challenges her readers to take an honest look at themselves and their relationship with God as she invokes compassion, hope, and a desire to draw closer to Him through her unmeasured poetry, drawing from several stories written in the Bible.

Ericka Clay's writing speaks to anyone looking for spiritual renewal—and a reminder of our lack and His abundance in grace.

This will always remain one of my favorite Christian poetry books. Would recommend 10/10.

Anna Cabral

★★★★★

Beautifully authentic. I love Mrs. Clay's writing style, which is a unique combination of depth and honesty. Her words evoke the reader's imagination and help her know she is not alone in experiencing doubt, joy, and pain throughout life's trials as a Jesus follower. I highly recommend this book to Christian readers who love poetry. :)

Marry Evens

★★★★★

Well-articulated! Love the author's work in general. I was caught by it, and I had to finish it.

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The Rule Book for Mothers

Anna Cabral

★★★★★

Ericka Clay writes what a lot of us think. She is authentically raw and her poetry paints a picture of hard reality, but also of hope.

This book conveys the message that while as mothers, we struggle with loving as very human mothers, we've also been given an amazing gift and when we perserve in following God's will, we will reap a harvest of joy.

I highly recommend it to mothers who want to feel less alone.

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